Adjusting the towel on her shoulder, Kate picked up the lingering sauce with a spoon and brought it to her lips. Tasting it carefully, she rubbed the thick, oily liquid against her palate, picking at the taste of the meat. She smacked her lips with pleasure; after a moment's thought, she added a pinch of light yellow crystals from the spice jar. She stirred it thoroughly with a spoon, nodded to herself, and smiled appealingly, white-toothed. She was, and still is, a true pleasure to prepare food, as anyone watching her will easily be able to see.
Her handling of cutlery is confident, without fussiness, with knowledge. Her movements are measured and polished, since everything she needs is at hand. There are jars with a set of spices and spices, like in an oriental bazaar, and cupboards with dishes of all sizes and shapes, and an impressive size refrigerator. All kitchen utensils are conveniently arranged on shelves and niches, ultramodern appliances saves a lot of time, and even recipes are stored not in the notebook, but in the memory of the interactive panel. By the way, for this original idea her husband at one time received a good "award"!
Thinking for a second, Kate swiped her finger over the display, flipping through the rich menu, and squinted her eyes appreciatively. I wondered if the new dish from tonight's show had enough seasoning. The composition of the ingredients sounded shorthanded, without specifics, offering listeners freedom to be creative.
Kate took a pan of chicken fillet out of the fridge, sniffed it meticulously, dipped her little finger in the marinade, tasted it on her tongue. No, there was absolutely nothing to worry about, the ingredients were just right, and we'd add the coke later, once the oven was free.
Beckett squatted down and turned on the oven light, peering at her signature apple pie in the silicone mold. The sides of the pie seemed to be starting to brown, but the top wasn't done yet. Well, yeah, that's just a matter of minutes. Swallowing a copious amount of saliva, Kate happily sipped at the exhilarating aroma of baked bread with the scent of cinnamon, cream, and cocoa.
"This should be incredibly delicious!"
Involuntarily rubbing the tip of her nose, Beckett smiled softly. A little more time and her housemates would take their seats at the dinner table. With joyful smiles they would run their impatient fingers through the lush, appetizing bites and mouthfuls of gratitude. And the lead fiddle in this "concert" will be played by Castle.
Tenderly and sensually Rick will kiss her, collecting crumbs from the corners of her lips; gently, like a little child, pick her up in his arms and press her tightly against him, whispering warm words, prepared just for her. And she will answer him in the same, and the happy grandchildren will clap their hands cheerfully, making jokes in the spirit of her favorite grandfather.
With a mischievous grin, Kate cheerfully bit her lower lip. He and Rick had enough to worry about in life!
Son Alex and his wife, Linda, are constantly on the road, visiting the Hamptons only on weekends, and so the venerable head of the family, Richard Castle, is eager to perform the difficult duties of parenthood. Sometimes, however, he behaves like a little child.
Can hide in the garden thicket, tricky firing a water pistol at everyone. Skillfully fences with a toy ray blade, like a space ranger. He loves to play online games all night long, or to watch the hell out of space TV shows like "Star Wars," "Nebulae-9," or "Star track.
With an amused chuckle, Kate lightly clapped her hands together. It's been a long time since I've seen these movies, and the pleasure of watching them still lingers. Sometimes it's nice to lounge around on the couch with the kids and have another movie marathon, eating a pile of popcorn or spoiling yourself with homemade pizza.
The pleasant memories surfaced one by one, and Kate smiled even wider. After her marriage and Alex's birth, she'd enjoyed mastering the culinary arts, and now that she was retired and free of time pressures, she plunged headlong into new hobbies. And Rick's help was invaluable in that.
Knowing how quickly Kate would languish without her usual work, Castle tried to distract her from grief-stricken memories. The first thing they did was to go on a long family trip, visiting the unknown corners of the world, then they started half a year of reconstruction of the country house and took up gardening. If there was something to plan or discuss, they wrote down their thoughts on a white sheet of paper, habitually called a "crime board. The meals were called menu examinations and the gutting of fish was compared to the dissection of a drowned man. And this was only a small fraction of the maelstrom of adoration that Rick had created.
His sharpened sense of tact, sincere love and tireless care, on his part, persistence, determination, the ability to bring things to their logical conclusion, on her part, played a positive role. She was able to adapt to civilian life; without heartbreaking consequences for himself became a strong housewife, easily and confidently cope with a lot of family property, well aware of what she seeks and why.
Of course, the next stage of life required full dedication, but gradually Kate got used to the new cares, family comfort and tranquility. Not at once, of course, but she got used to it, though sometimes she secretly cried into her pillow, remembering her friends and her past life. I had to go through a lot, to sacrifice something to get something more, without which, as it turned out, just being did not make any sense.
Sighing sadly, Kate sat down on the edge of her chair, glancing absently at the blazing oven. Now they had a huge garden in the Hamptons, a beautiful rose garden, a fountain, and an enlarged swimming pool, with which they enjoyed many an intimate moment. Calm and at the same time turbulent family life, pleasure and enjoyment of each other.
Tucking a naughty gray curl behind her ear, Kate leaned back in her chair, interlocking her fingers on the back of her head and gazing dreamily at the ceiling.
God, she was so happy!
In all her life together with Castle she had never once regretted her choice. This strange, eccentric, sometimes childish, and at the same time courageous, tenacious, determined man is her hope and support. He still continues to write books, but now about another Nikki Heat, a loving wife and mother, still produces new comics, and even comes up with subjects for cartoons. And it's all coming out playfully, coherently, successfully.
"By the way, how is he doing? Isn't it time for a little break, dear Ricky?"
Going to the window, Kate pulled the blinds, cast a brief glance across the courtyard, and turned her wrist with the massive clock to her face.
Hmm, it was past six o'clock and still no word from her favorite tomboys. Of course, if something had happened, she'd know about it by now, but still... Guests are guests, but it's time to be honored!
Kate thoughtfully stroked the sharp edges of the phone lurking in her pants pocket, folded her arms across her chest, tapping her fingers on the folds of her elbows indecisively. Should I call the Creightons, or not yet? For all the naughtiness of her grandchildren's nature, Kate was used to trusting them, but their conspiratorial faces were still on her mind.
The boys seemed to have some new, unusual, perhaps even fantastical idea. They did not run around the yard in pirate costumes, did not play with their grandfather in another "shooter game", did not throw darts at the pierced target, but sat peacefully in the gazebo and, flipping through the Internet pages on their tablets, joked away all the questions.
They went to bed early, without the accompanying scandals, and after breakfast, whispering about something with a mysterious look, disappeared. It was to be hoped that their scheme was harmless, and would not embarrass grandfather and grandmother.
Kate glanced at the pie. Okay, we could wait a little longer, even do something nice. For herself. She walked from the living room to the right wing of the building and pushed open a narrow door at the end of the hallway, blending in with the wall.
The isolated room was a modestly sized room with a low ceiling. On one side of the den was a collapsible metal shelving unit, littered with assorted cardboard boxes; on the other was a pyramid of shabby chairs from an old set. Castle had once wanted to set up his office here, but seeing that the natural light left much to be desired, he abandoned the idea. Now the room had become a repository of various household utensils, whose usefulness in everyday life had long been greatly questioned.
Beckett squeezed her way into the room, pulled out the top drawer of the desk by the window with a puzzled look, and pulled out a small pair of military binoculars. Now all that was left was the pleasant part.
After wiping the worn tabletop with a prepared rag, Kate knelt on it and, carefully lifting the dusty blinds, spun the aiming wheel. Powerful optics brought to her eyes the pearlescent greenish rim of a pool with a blue water mirror, the stumpy trunk of a sprawling oak tree, and a wooden rocking chair at its roots.
Seeing Castle sitting carefree in it, Kate smiled. She just loved peeping at him. Tirelessly and with unconcealed fondness, watching as he concentrated on the laptop keyboard, as he thoughtfully scratched his chin, unconsciously moving his lips, coming up with another stunning intrigue. It's so nice to look at the people dear to your heart, especially when they don't yet know how much you care.
The first four years of a complicated relationship and Kate's acquired secrecy had paid off. Even now, after so many years of life together, Castle had no idea about his wife's innocent infatuation, a kind of playful little secret without any backward intentions. For all its simplicity, it gave their relationship a touch of mystery and a slight piquancy, because Castle himself was willing and able to surprise. After all, only thanks to his efforts, after just a year and a half, Kate remembered the police routine only with mild regret. The badge could not be worn forever, but to remain a cop at heart no one forbade. And that's why any awkward or, on the contrary, sophisticated attempts of tomboys to conceal sins were quickly brought to light.
In truth, not always the former detective Beckett was exorbitantly strict to the children. Remembering life without a mother's affection, she tried to give first her son and then her grandchildren everything that she herself was momentarily deprived of. And the reciprocal love was boundless.
Lowering the binoculars, Kate nonchalantly corrected the obstructing bangs, then reattached the eyepieces to her eyes and frowned playfully, biting her lower lip merrily.
"Aha! He's writing! What a bug!"
The folded laptop rested peacefully in Castle's lap, and Rick himself was nonchalantly snoozing "two-hole" with his head resting on the headboard of his chair and his mouth wide open.
Her eyes rolled ironically, and Kate lowered the binoculars understandingly, but suddenly, wrinkling her nose, she turned her head sharply. From the kitchen came the distinctive smell of burnt bread.
"Damn, she forgot the pie!"
Shoving the binoculars into the desk drawer, Kate hurried out, stumbling over various utensils on the way and muttered a low snarl. It seemed a mistake to leave the hood on its lowest setting, for there was a puff of gray smoke all the way from the kitchen to the pantry. There was a pungent smell of burning.
Covering her mouth with her palm and coughing profusely, Kate made her way to the stove, waving a towel and extinguishing the stinking oven. She added power to the hood and peered up to her waist through the open window, breathing in the fresh air with relief. It was a good thing the courtyard was empty and the pool was to the side. Then Castle would not be able to see the consequences of her blunder. Who knows, maybe he was already awake and writing another chapter...
Waiting until the smoky pall had cleared a little, Kate took out a mold and set it on her favorite supply of cherry slices. Skeptically examining the burnt crust, she grudgingly pressed her lips together. As unsightly as it was, the long-suffering pie looked even gloomier against the light beige countertop. Its once smooth surface was marred by furrowed cracks, and the intricately patterned strips of dough in the middle were reduced to incomprehensible, shapeless monograms.
Sucking on the tip of her burnt finger, Kate sighed sorrowfully. She knew the disposition of the Castle family better than anyone. Rick was sure to spout another conspiracy theory, or hint ironically at the intrigues of the ubiquitous Marquis, and the children, after cheerfully chiding their hapless grandmother, would ruthlessly break the ugly pie into a pile of burnt crusts. With laughter and squeals the boys would rush to feed the fussy seagulls in the surf lane, and she and Rick would stand on the edge of the cliff in their arms, watching the merry children. Naturally, Castle would find words of comfort, and things would certainly work out, but... still a shame!
Shaking her head reproachfully, Kate nibbled her chin, contemplating whether to make a new pie or make do with the food she already had. She glanced at her wristwatch, wondering where the boys had gone, when suddenly a chorus of children's voices echoed behind her:
- Ba?! - The children even coughed in unison. - We noticed the smoke from the window! Are you all right?
Waking up from her unhappy thoughts, Kate smiled happily, breathing an undisguised sigh of relief: "Thank God the tomboys have arrived!" After another disappointed look at the loser pie, she crouched dispassionately on the edge of the tabletop, covering her form with her back. There they were, her beloved, long-awaited twins, standing there smiling slyly. I wonder where they've been all this time, and if they're all right.
Nibbling her lips expectantly, Kate scrutinized the boy and girl of about ten, short haircuts, wearing matching dark blue T-shirts and shorts. Although Trixie wasn't much of a fan of darkly colored clothes, Kate knew exactly what it was all about. Imitating her beloved grandfather, her grandchildren simply loved various shenanigans.
Changing clothes and skilfully imitating the voices, the boys often impersonated each other, entertaining friends and driving adults to the brink. Even Castle sometimes "suffered" from children's jokes, which was partly due to his poor eyesight. With her, of course, this "number" would never work, especially since Beckett knew the boys by heart. Contemplating their sly faces, she secretly expected an unexpected trick. But what was it?
With an unflappable eyebrow raised, Kate folded her arms across her chest and smiled benevolently. Even in this, an awkward situation, she could hold her own.
- It's nothing, just a little accident with a big pie! - Kate nodded convincingly, squinting her eyes and wrapping her gray bangs around her finger. - What happened to you? I think someone promised not to be late for lunch!
- We were technically on time, Grams," Ron grinned slyly. - Soon as we beat the Creightons at darts, we were on our way home.
- You're on! - Kate scrutinized the cryptic faces and pursed her lips skeptically. Definitely, the guys are trying to hide something from her, or at least they're not telling her something. Well, tell me, please, what can a child's appearance tell you if his knees are green from the grass and black from the ground, and his clothes and hair are covered with flower pollen and bits of dried leaves? Kate's gaze caught the long scratch on Trixie's left shin, clearly visible on the tanned skin, and the fresh abrasions on Ron's forearms and cheekbone. Kate also noticed the bulging pocket of his shorts. What's in there, a muffin for lunch or something?
- Where did you get so dirty? - Kate asked a leading question and saw how embarrassed the boys were. - I've been to the Creightons' and I've seen where the target is hung. Do you have to hide in the bushes or lie down in a flower bed to aim a dart?
And she waggled her eyebrow in an unapproachable, eye-to-eye look. With a doomed sigh, the boys looked at each other as if on cue, and, once again convinced of their inability to say anything, Ron nudged Trixie with his elbow:
- "Okay, go ahead and say it.
- Okay," the girl bit her lip, imitating her grandmother. - Uh...
- Come on, sit down at the table and talk quietly," Kate encouraged the children, "and let's move dinner around a bit. Well?
She was the first to sit down in the chair, with a look of genuine concern. The boys sat down across from her, only Ron immediately hid his earth-soaked hands under the table.
- Ahem," Trixie coughed, gathering her wits. - There was a French film on National Geographic recently about grape snails. Apparently, they're bred for dessert on special farms, and even," Trixie chuckled merrily, her teeth gleaming white, "they hold snail races. That's what we liked best.
- A snail race? - Kate was genuinely amazed. Rick had told her a lot of interesting and informative facts in his time, but not about any snails. What idea would he have had in that case, I wondered? In thoughtfulness, Kate even ran her fingertips through her hair.
- Yes, bah, it's a real snail Formula One! - Ron echoed her sister's words excitedly. He seemed to know a lot about this subject. - We listened to interviews with judges, saw the construction of race tracks, and even "snail" cups. Since "snail racing" is a game of chance, there must be a sweepstakes too. Bah, wouldn't you like to test your fate?
- I already tried my luck more than thirty years ago," Kate smiled good-naturedly, sinking into her memories, "when I met your grandfather. And that's the best win I ever had.
- We're well aware of that, Bah, but still, what about gambling? - The twins asked together, eliciting a puzzled smile from Kate. She bowed her head approvingly after a few seconds.
- You'll have to ask Rick about that, because he's a great one for that sort of thing.
- I see," Ron summed up rather, smiling mischievously and enigmatically, and he clearly remembered something.
- Yes," Kate nodded amicably, a little shyly not to betray her mischievous mood. - When you propose to him, I don't think he'll refuse. By the way, why don't I see any grape snails? Haven't you had time to receive a parcel from France?
- No," Ron blinked merrily as he scrambled up from the table. - We found a few, but not as big as in France. After we've shown Grandpa, we'll pick out the sportiest specimens," he waved at his sister.
Smiling cheerfully, Trixie slipped away from the table. Kate gave the naughty little figures a wry look, and after a pitiful look at the remains of the pie, she followed.
The weary sun was drawing toward sunset, and shadows stretched from the growing trees. They boldly crossed the pool lawn and water mirror, laying long tongues on the stone path. A century-old oak and a chair were visible right from the wicket. Barely keeping up with the brisk twins, Kate quickened her pace. Somehow it seemed to her all the time that, despite their confession, the children had left something to spare. It seemed that the universe would soon learn their "great" secret.
As she approached the boys huddled by the chair, Kate put her arm around their shoulders, and then she saw in Ron's hands a light plastic container without a label, with tiny holes in the frosted lid.
- Is this where your speed snails are? - Beckett smiled soulfully, biting her lip.
- Yeah," Ron sniffed his nose, and then put his head down, "there used to be candy that Beth and Lindsay Creighton lost to us in darts.
- Grams, who's going to wake Grandpa up? - Trixie sighed, looking at Castle snoring deafeningly. He was sitting in the same position he'd been sitting in half an hour ago, his laptop still on his lap.
Kate shrugged uncertainly, smiling at something of her own.
- Probably the most cavalier of us all! That would be...
- Я! - Ron squared his shoulders. He stood closely back in his chair and yelled excitedly:
- "De-ed!
- Huh? What?" Castle jumped up in his sleep and almost dropped his laptop. - I-I was awake! - he tried to justify himself loudly and insistently, making big sleepy eyes. - I was just thinking! You know, Kate, under the light breeze playing with the oak leaves, my thoughts take on the same lightness.
- Oh, yes, I'm well aware of that, Castle! - Kate grinned ironically, watching him with unspeakable pleasure and a good-natured chuckle.
Unceremoniously awakened, slightly disgruntled, Rick spread his slimy eyes with his fingers, yawning loudly and at length. He was utterly helpless in that state, and Kate was always adept at taking advantage of it. There were few pleasant moments in married life!
Letting go of the boys' frail shoulders, Kate leaned toward her husband. The kiss on the lips was very sensual.
- Yes, dear! - unspeakably satisfied, muttered Castle, closed his eyes. - You wanted to tell me something?
- The children will speak for me! - Kate murmured, regretfully retreating one step back. - Do you like surprises?
- You don't have to ask! - Castle even swayed in his chair with anticipation, yawning. Rick's sleepiness was relieved.
- "Grandpa, we want to have a snail race," the boys said together, surrounding the chair from all sides. - Could you help us pick the contenders?
- A snail race? - Castle became animated, rubbing his palms together. - Like in France? Yoo-hoo! - He shrieked happily. - And where is the desired sports school with candidates for the master?
- Here! - Ron chuckled, encouraged by Castle's reaction. Taking the lid off the can, he knocked it right over the lid of the laptop.
Rick's mirth vanished. He twisted his mouth in squeamish disgust as he stared at the pile of live caterpillars clumped together right in front of him. The caterpillars were numerous: green, light brown, brown, with dots, with and without stripes on their backs, thick as stumps and thin, quite paltry, smaller than a child's fingernail. Unhappy with the cramped confines of the jar, they arched their chitinous bodies, now in rings, now in stripes.
- Whoa! - Rick said something between a strangled cat and a nail on glass. Impulsively leaping out of his chair, he barely managed to grab the laptop around the corner and made a huge leap to avoid stepping on the stirring ball at his feet. Slipping the laptop under his arm, loudly and expressively swatted his hands, as if he were shaking off caterpillars sticking to him.
- What's the point? - With an unimaginable grin, Castle did not take his eyes off the merrily spreading in different directions insects. - Why do I have to pick something out of this disgusting pile?
-Ah," the twins mumbled, clearly anticipating failure, "it's just that we couldn't find any snails, so we decided to replace them with caterpillars from Mrs. Murdoch's garden, which had not been sprayed for some time. Grandpa, we spent all day on them. Do you think it's easy to climb the bushes with your magnifying glass?
- My magnifying glass? - Rick was genuinely horrified to see Kate with her head turned aside. She seemed to be biting her lip as usual. - What if you broke it again? I'm still reeling from the death of the last one!
- Then the boys would give you a new one," said Beckett, looking at the hanging noses of the grandchildren, "Imagine, Castle: what if something worthwhile could come out of such an unpretentious activity? What if the boys become great naturalists, or zoologists, or start writing books about animals? Do you have any idea, Castle, how much the universe has to lose? - Kate said. As she beckoned Ron over to her, she put her arm around the children's shoulders in a reassuring hug.
- The universe could lose a lot more than that! In my face," Castle softened a little, but he couldn't get over the squeamishness. - Who knows what she really wants. Well, let's try to give it a chance.
And sighed heavily.
In an hour the improvised track from a piece of Styrofoam and plastic partitions from Barbie's house was ready. The boys put their chosen "athletes" at the beginning of the numbered tracks, and Rick, who flatly refused to touch his "trotter," watched it meticulously from a distance.
- I have a feeling," Kate rubbed her chin skeptically, "that it's going to be a long race.
- Those trotters will be quick when they know what's at stake! - Castle's cheeks were all in the air, squinting with an ineffable slyness. Kate was surprised at how quickly his mood changed. All they had to do was to find something unusual in the trivial!
- I didn't see any electrodes implanted in their heads, Rick," she protested perplexed. How are you going to tell them what they need to know?
- I know how! - Rick grinned enigmatically. - And the universe knows how! Hey, guys! Which one of you is in charge of the launch?